New Delhi: In a big sad back to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav and his family members, the Income Tax department today conducted raids at 22 different locations related to charges of alleged benami deals worth Rs 1,000 crore.
The development comes a day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stated that if there was documentary proof or solid evidence against the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and his family then the central government should take legal action.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders had alleged Lalu Prasad was connected to hundreds of “benami” properties.
Following the IT raids, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who has been repeatedly accusing Lalu Prasad and his family in the “benami” properties case, told the media in Patna that his stand was “vindicated”.
Officials said the department began raiding the premises of some prominent businessmen and real estate agents in Delhi, Gurgaon, Rewari and few others since early morning.
Some people and businessmen connected to the land deal involving Lalu Prasad and his family is being searched.
IT conduct raids at 22 locations related to Lalu Yadav’s benami property case:
A senior IT official said, there are allegations of benami deals worth about Rs 1,000 crore and subsequent tax evasion.”
The BJP had last week accused Prasad, his MP-daughter Misa Bharti and his two sons, both Bihar government ministers, of being involved in corrupt land deals worth over Rs 1,000 crore, and asked the central government to probe one such transaction in Delhi.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had alleged that these transactions were a case of quid pro quo as they date back to the period when Lalu Prasad was the railway minister, and dared Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take action against him.
Lalu s RJD is a constituent of Bihar’s ruling coalition led by Kumar. His sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav are ministers in the government.
All the companies owned by Lalu Prasad s family members for the purpose of these land transactions had no employees, no business activities and no turnover, Ravi Shankar Prasad had claimed.
Bihar’s biggest shopping mall spread over 7.5 lakh square feet is coming up in Patna as part of such dubious transactions, he had alleged at a news conference held here.
